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Current Action Alerts

You Made It Happen: NAPA into Law!

Thanks to you and thousands of Alzheimer's Association advocates, President Obama signed the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) into law on January 4, 2011. This new law requires the federal government to create a National Alzheimer's Plan to combat Alzheimer's disease. Advocates just like you were crucial in the process of moving this legislation into law, and your voices and experiences are essential for its successful implementation.

The National Alzheimer's Plan will be our country's roadmap to address Alzheimer's disease - for it to be effective, we must ensure that the federal government understands the challenges our families face each day as we fight Alzheimer's.

Throughout August, the Alzheimer's Association is continuing to gather feedback in communities across the country with "input sessions." We will collect your thoughts and ideas and present them in a report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius. These sessions are your opportunity to give direct feedback to decision makers in your community and in Washington. Visit the NAPA website to find a session near you.

What is an Advocate?

Advocates are people with Alzheimer’s and related disorders, caregivers, friends, family members, and professionals who raise awareness and urge government to support research and care. Alzheimer advocates play an important role in improving the quality of care and quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families by working to improve dementia care and services; improve access to community-based care; improve quality care in residential settings; and expand funding for research and public programs serving people with dementia.

As an advocate, you will:

Learn how policy decisions affect people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers

Be part of a larger movement to put Alzheimer’s on the national agenda, elevating Alzheimer’s from a disease to a cause

Stay abreast of opportunities to generate action from our elected officials

Register now! Join with thousands of Alzheimer’s advocates in NYC and nationwide.

Why is Advocacy Important?

Grassroots advocacy is important to our cause, both in ensuring that all levels of government support essential services and research, and in raising public consciousness about Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. This is a disease that makes advocacy by its victims extremely difficult, therefore we must do our part to speak with them and on their behalf.

From 2000-2006, Alzheimer's disease deaths increased by more than 46 percent, while the death rates in other major diseases (such as breast cancer, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS) have all significantly declined. Strategic investments in other diseases have resulted in declines in deaths, and we need to see the same type of investment for Alzheimer's. Please join the NYC Alzheimer Action Network to make this happen!

It takes just a few minutes to read and respond to our monthly Federal updates and action alerts. You can help the cause by signing an online petition or forwarding an email to your elected official – these individual actions can really add up!

Periodically, we will send opportunities to get more involved, such as:

Volunteering to recruit advocates at health fairs, Memory Walk, and other events

Visiting your Congressman’s local district office

Attending our annual lobby day in Albany or the public policy forum in Washington, D.C.

Becoming an ambassador to your elected official

To learn more about these and other volunteer opportunities at our Chapter, please contact Christina Keller by email or at 646.744.2928.

Upcoming Events

Save-the-date: The 2011 Advocacy Forum will be held May 15-17 in Washington, D.C.

New York Advocacy

Victory!
The Family Health Care Decisions Act is signed into law in NY State, allowing family members to make health care decisions on behalf of patients who lose their ability to make such decisions and have not prepared advance directives regarding their wishes. Thanks to our advocates for helping to make this happen!